LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP ENDORSES MEASURE THREEPolice, Criminal Justice Pros Say Measure Will Improve Public Safety, Save Police Resources Today, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), would like to announce our endorsement of North Dakota Measure 3, a law that would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older.

“As someone who arrested and put away marijuana users, I’ve seen how the drug’s prohibition tears apart families and communities. I’m especially supportive of the expungement portion of the measure – fixing a broken law and letting those who were erroneously punished for it in the past is a great way for the justice system to build better relations with communities. People need to trust the police to feel comfortable reporting crimes, and marijuana prohibition has long been a major barrier. It is my sincere opinion as a former police administrator that legalizing marijuana can …

LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP ENDORSES AMENDMENT FOURPolice, Corrections Officials Say Measure Will Help Convicted Felons Rejoin SocietyToday, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) would like to announce our endorsement of Florida’s Amendment 4, a law that would restore voting rights to most convicted felons who have completed their sentences. The law is designed to improve the reintegration process for formerly incarcerated people.

"When you run a jail system for 27 years like I did, you understand the mission is to keep people from returning once they leave. There are a lot of ways to prevent recidivism, but research tells us one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods is to restore voting rights for those who have served their time because it removes the final barrier preventing them from fully reintegrating into their communities." – Col. David Parrish (Ret.), retire…

For Immediate Release: 10.30.18Contact: Mikayla HellwichMedia@LawEnforcementAction.org240.461.3066LAW ENFORCEMENT ENDORSES ISSUE 1Police, Prosecutors Say Law Could Reduce Overdoses, Crime, Prison Costs
Today, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) would like to announce our endorsement of Ohio's Issue 1, a ballot measure that would reclassify many drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and divert cost savings into drug treatment, rehabilitation, probation services, and victim support programs. The law is designed to reduce the number of people in state jails and prisons for low-level drug offenses and non-criminal probation violations.

"The justice system can't function as intended and keep people safe when such a high volume of drug cases overwhelms the dockets. I think anyone working in courtrooms or corrections facilities would agree that we need to focus our energy on the most serious crimes. People who use drugs – and many who sell them – need treatment, so…

Today, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), would like to announce our endorsement of Michigan ballot proposal 18-1, a law that would tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. If voters approve the measure in November, adults would be permitted to purchase, grow, and possess up to two and one half ounces of marijuana while retail and cultivation facilities would be required to obtain licensure through the state.

“I stand with many others in law enforcement who have been tasked with enforcing marijuana prohibition when I offer my support for the drug’s responsible regulation,” said Detective Sgt. Ted Nelson (Ret.), a retired Michigan State Police detective and local spokesman for LEAP. “Hassling people over small amounts of marijuana is not a reasonable or effective component of crime reduction strategies or community-building efforts. We already know from other states …

What advice would you give to your younger self?Lieutenant Tony Ryan (Ret.) joined LEAP early on, more than a decade ago. He did it because he knew that bad policies like the War on Drugs were destroying communities and making policing a more dangerous job. He couldn’t stay silent, because good cops like Tony speak up for what’s right. They see law enforcement as an honorable profession, and they rise to meet the challenge – working toward bringing policing back to what it should be: protecting and serving. Tony quickly built a reputation as one of our hardest-working speakers. In his tenure with LEAP, Tony served as the law enforcement voice of Colorado's Amendment 64 campaign to legalize and regulate marijuana, one of the first states to succeed in doing so, and on LEAP's Board of Directors. His incredible stories of nearly 40 years in policing made him a staff favorite – Tony's been stabbed (more than once), shot in the chest, broken a hand and a foot, was first on the s…

Friday last week, Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder for killing 17-year old Laquan McDonald in 2014. Van Dyke is the first Chicago PD officer to be convicted of murder in 50 years. Below is a statement from the Law Enforcement Action Partnership's executive director, Major Neill Franklin (Ret.).

"I believe the guilty verdict for the officer who killed Laquan McDonald could reflect the early stages of a coming wave of change in American policing. Departments around the country are doing a better job of improving transparency and accountability than ever, but substantial record-keeping isn't yet mandatory in all departments and only a few agencies have the benefit of an effective, independent, civilian review board. I'm hopeful that if organizations like LEAP and others working on police reform continue to push these issues forward, more police will come to understand accountability is in their best interest because it builds tr…

The following is an interview with Law Enforcement Action Partnership representative Det. Vince Felber (Ret.) of the Akron Police Department in Ohio. He left policing after 20 years of service and now works with LEAP to educate people about the effects of the justice system on communities living in poverty and how they impact police officers' ability to do their jobs. Mikayla Hellwich & Monica Westfall: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you did in law enforcement?

Det. Vince Felber (Ret.): I started in 1992 doing patrol, working one of the poorer sections of Akron, Ohio, a city of 200,000. After four years on the street, I spent two years working in the forensic science crime scene unit. I moved on to the detective bureau -- investigating property crimes, burglaries. While there, I spent some time working in the pawn unit and also got involved in a couple of homicide cases. One of those cases gained national interest. I did a number of TV programs -- me and …